Passengers at London Stansted Airport have described scenes of 'utter chaos' following a major power cut that struck early in the morning. The outage affected check-in, security, and baggage systems, causing significant delays and forcing some travellers to miss their flights.
One passenger, Andy Sheppard, who was travelling to Positano, Italy, with his partner, told the BBC there was 'complete and utter chaos' in the terminal, with 'virtually no guidance or assistance'. The couple queued for hours and arrived at the departure gate just four minutes after their Ryanair flight had departed on time. They then waited four hours for their bags to be returned, and had to book a later flight from Luton, incurring additional costs for taxis and accommodation.
Social media users reported long waits in baggage reclaim, with one passenger pleading for help after three hours. Another noted a lack of contingency plans for moving luggage when conveyor belts were not working. The airport apologised and advised passengers to allow extra time for travel.
A Stansted Airport spokesperson said regular announcements were made and additional staff were deployed to support passengers. They added that all airline helpdesks were open, and flights operated to schedule where possible to avoid missing slots. The airport confirmed that the overwhelming majority of passengers made their flights, despite the disruption.
